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While it is true that I am supporting my children in learing to balance fast food guilty pleasure reads with more substantive literary works, I must confess that my motivation here is not entirely altruistic. I also want to use some of our nightly reading time to get further through this 1001 list!

A first pass through the list reveals the following books that seem age appropriate for children. I have done a little searching on each and have included the approximate minimum age for each book. I tried to stick with ages 12 and under, since that's about when I expect the magic of nightly story time with my children will end. (But I'm keeping my fingers crossed as the eldest is hitting double digits next month!)

Aesop's Fables (6)
Alice in Wonderland (6)
Animal Farm (10)
Around the World in Eighty Days (11)
Little Women (9)
Lord of the Flies (12)
Robinson Crusoe (11)
Tarzan of the Apes (10)
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (11)
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (10)
The Call of the Wild (11)
The Hobbit (11)
The Hound of the Baskervilles (10)
The Little Prince (7)
The Time Machine (12)
The War of the Worlds (12)
Through the Looking-Glass, and What Alice Found There (6)
To Kill a Mockingbird (12)
Treasure Island (10)
Watchmen (14... this is a comic, but not for young kids!)

Your responses would be most welcome!

Sandy

Pippi Longstocking (I'd guess around 5-7yrs)
It's been while since I read these, so I'm not quite sure what age these are appropriate for:
The 13 Clocks
The Wonderful O

The age range thing is a bit hard to gauge since it will be on the shoulders of the parent for appropriate content or not (I found some toddler books not appropriate for my 4 year old).

Also, I strongly recommend anyone looking for children's books try out the "1001 Children's Books to Read Before You Grow Up" list, it's been fun.

Wayne wrote: "My only comment is that, although all the main characters are animals, Animal Farm really isn't meant for kids. It's a satire of totalitarianism in general and Stalinism in particular."

Animal Farm is, I think, suitable for kids. Of course they won't get the satire and the references (depending on their age), but they should still be able to appreciate it as a story.

I think these would all be suited to the older age range.... Aside from maybe Hitchhiker (which I would need to re-read to check language)?

Life of Pi...
Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
The Old Man and the Sea
I, Robot
Dracula
Great Expectations
Frankenstein

I don't have my list handy but I believe Journey to the Center of the Earth is another age appropriate list book. As would, The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes.

Thanks for the responses so far, and for the additional books!

I agree fully that the satire of Animal Farm will go right over their heads but the plot seems to stand up on its own as a children's story, and it would serve as a great starting point to conversations on alternative forms of government. In a similar example, my kids enjoyed the Chronicles of Narnia, and while I initiated some conversations about the evidence of Lewis's Christian beliefs, I don't think this subtext added or removed anything from the story for them.

I definitely agree that while some books have deeper levels that most kids can't appreciate, that doesn't mean that the book can't be a good story, and a good introduction to those concepts. They can always re-read those books later. Heck, I've found plenty of books that I read as a young adult that resonate much differently at my current age (mid-40s).

Some more possibilities....

Oliver Twist
A Christmas Carol
Kim (? I haven't read myself)
Kidnapped (? I haven't read myself)
Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde (? its been a while since I read)

Maybe suitable for older part of your range, especially if mature:
A Prayer for Owen Meany
Day of the Triffids
Contact
The Color Purple
Of Mice and Men

I think there are two different aspects to age appropriateness:

1. Whether the content (violence, sex, swearing etc) is appropriate for a particular age.

2. Whether the language, length and reading difficulty are appropriate for a typical reader of a particular age.

Then there are books that may be suitable for quite young readers on both counts (e.g. Alice in Wonderland) but where younger readers might somewhat miss the point.

The Wind in the Willows and Abel's Island fall in the age range you've selected, probably in the 7 to 10 bracket. I read both books aloud to my daughter when she was in grade school. Both were books that had animal protagonists (which made them easily accessible for a child) but that had a fable-like quality to them that conveyed many profound sentiments and lessons. I read dozens of books to my daughter from kindergarten through the 8th grade. I was a "Mr. Mom." We read at night at her bedtime as a way to bring closure to her day as well as for fun. Although she voraciously read on her own, reading at bedtime became a "tradition." My criteria for selection were that the book had to engage her attention, be a proven classic (e.g., Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm, Tom Sawyer, Charlotte's Web, Chronicles of Narnia, Black Beauty, The Mists of Avalon, The Secret Garden, etc.) or be a Newbery medal winner or honor book. I tried to select books with a strong female character, that were well written, and were enjoyable. As she got older the choices became more "joint" and the themes more mature. The Harry Potter and Lemony Snicket series sneaked in. The last book I read aloud was To Kill a Mockingbird. Some books that are either "about" children (e.g., Lord of the Flies) or were childlike in some aspect (Animal Farm) were out of bounds because I felt they would be too scary, disturbing or nuanced for a child. Similarly, Grimms Fairy Tales, for example, the unvarnished ones, I also omitted from my admittedly arbitrary "list." I didn't try to press adult or "teen" classics on her during this time. She could pick those out on her own. In retrospect, there are books we probably could have read as she got closer to her teens (like Fahrenheit 451 or the Martian Chronicles, for example) . I just didn't consider them at the time.

The Nose by Gogol might be suitable for children. It's a nonsense story, but the protagonist is not a child like in Alice in Wonderland, so it might be less interesting for children.

I recommend looking up some of the books prior to reading them to your children. Many times a piece of literature seems appropriate but truly isn't. And while they may not get it or understand appreciating it or not isn't really the point, children base their literary taste not on appreciation but on like or dislike. It's far simpler for them. An older child ie teen or preteen, well that depends on their maturity level. What you really should be wondering is: am I going to be ready for their questions? Someone had mentioned the color purple. I loved the color purple when I read it and I had read it at 10 years old. However, the novel deals with heavy issues such as incest, abuse, overt sexuality, lesbian relationships. You are the only who can say how much your children can and cannot handle or where they emotionally and mentally. Hence why I suggest doing some research for the novels that fall into the grey area. Because we are all different creatures and what may be fine for one may not be for another. A novel I feel is appropriate to read aloud around children or to them is Pride & Prejudice, it's simply the language they may not like but they story line is fine. Life of pi for preteen and older. Lord of the flies is recommended in high school but to older grades. Call of the preteen/teen. Pilgrims Progress is fine for any age, though I read it a while ago, but there are monsters. I know why the caged bird sings, older teen. In cold blood, older teen. To kill a mocking bird, teen. Lord of the rings, teen. Old man and the sea and catcher in the rye, teen. Though it has been a while since I read either. The little prince any and all ages. Of mice and men teen. The hobbit teen. Time machine teen. Treasure island and huckleberry finn young adult/teen. Alice in wonderland of course. Little women. Through the looking glass is much more darker so I'd say teen. A Christmas carol of course. If you want your children to appreciate these works then wait til they are a bit older but if it's just about enjoying a story and reading a few books then I say double check what kind of novel it is what it deals with before opening the work to your kids.

I apologize for the spelling errors and missed words. It isn't writing a paragraph via my phone.

Nicole wrote: "I apologize for the spelling errors and missed words. It isn't writing a paragraph via my phone."

You make some good points. There's a time when a parent needs to vet a book before letting a child read it. Some people think some of William Steig's books are too violent and scary (e.g., Pearl and the Amazing Bone)or send a politically incorrect message (Margaret Wise Brown's Mr. Dog where the dog has a corncob pipe.)

My daughter is a precocious/voracious reader, so my sense of age judging is a bit skewed (she read Hound of the Baskervilles at 7 and still laughs at me for warning her that it might be a little scary). She also enjoyed Life of Pi when she was 10. Thus these are more "age suitable", though as with any classic, discussion will help tremendously. Reading levels will vary:

Gone With the Wind - middle school
Contact - middle/high school
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy - middleschool
Interview with a Vampire - late middle school
Nineteen Eighty Four - middle school
All Quiet on the Western Front - middle school
Great Gatsby - middle school
The War of the Worlds - middle school/late elementary if they're strong readers
Picture of Dorian Gray - middle school
Walden - late middle school if they'll sit for it
The Three Muskateers - middle school
The Purloined Letter - middle school
Oliver Twist - middle school
Frankenstein - middle school
Emma - middle school
Pride & Prejudice - middle school
Sense & Sensibility - middle school
Silas Marner - middle school
A Modest Proposal - middle school
Gulliver's Travels - middle school, possibly late elementary
Robinson Crusoe - middle school
Don Quixote - middle school, if they'll wade through it

Late entry, but there's a couple that I;m surprised haven't been listed: both of T.H.White's books.
T.H. White - The Once and Future King, and
T.H. White - The Sword in the Stone.
These have the advantage of having both classical older reader versions and young reader versions, as well as screen adaptations.
Robert Heinlein wrote some good stories shorter than Stranger... (which are not in the list) but they are good introductions to science fiction:
Robert Heinlein - Have Spacesuit Will Travel (9)
Robert Heinlein - Citizen of the Galaxy (9)

I remember reading Little Women and Good Wives at around 9 years and I loved it. It remained my favourite book and I've read it lots of times since then.

Great list. I have a 3 year old and I can't wait to read some of my favourites with him, but I have trouble with the right age for each book. This list is therefore great for mums like me.

I would love to see your suggestions for children aged 3-6.

Thea wrote: "I remember reading Little Women and Good Wives at around 9 years and I loved it. It remained my favourite book and I've read it lots of times since then.

Great list. I have a 3 year old and I can'..."

There exists a children's/YA version of this list, 1001 Children's Books You Must Read Before You Grow Up which you could try. It has some overlaps with the adult list (e.g. Alice in Wonderland, Little Women etc). It lists books for children 0-3, 3+, 5+, 8+ and 12+. There are some great suggestions on it.

Ellinor wrote: "Thea wrote: "I remember reading Little Women and Good Wives at around 9 years and I loved it. It remained my favourite book and I've read it lots of times since then.

Great list. I have a 3 year o..."

thanks for your suggestions. We are currently reading A Bear called Paddington and tough he loved the story, it has not enough pictures for him yet. I had to google drawings for some key scenes to make it more appropriate for his age and we did some Paddinton Bear Crafts. I think we'll try the original Winnie the Pooh afterwards.

The Water Babies by Charles Kingsley is another book on the list for younger children.

The Jules Verne titles, Journey to the Center of the Earth and Around the World in Eighty Days, are suitable for middle grade children.

These would also work on the higher end of your age range:

The Lord of the Rings
At the Mountains of Madness
The Edgar Allan Poe titles
The History of Rasselas, Prince of Abissinia
The Summer Book
Eclipse of the Crescent Moon
The Island of Dr. Moreau
Ben-Hur
The Castle of Otranto
Invisible Cities
Sandokan: The Tigers of Mompracem
Tarzan of the Apes